Ringing and docking instrument.



APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1912.

Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

Inventor Attorneys GEORGE. W. FLETCHER, OF MENDON, ILLINOIS.

RINGING AND DOCKING INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ()ct. 29,1912.

Application filed July 11,1912. Serial No. 708,900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. FLETcHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mendon, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Ringing and Docking Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve ments in ringing and docking instruments, the same being an improvement upon applicants former Patent No. 1,015,162, dated January 16, 1912, in that the tail guide and gage instead of necessitating the threading of the tail of the animal to be docked therethrough, is provided with a forked end open at one side for the ready insertion of the tail for presentation thereof to the cutting jaw or jaws of the pliers.

A. further object of the present invention is the provision of a cutting pliers used in connection with the tail guide and gage, in

which one jaw is provided with a removable block, preferably of hard wood to coact with the other jaw which is a removable cutting blade, such means being provided to permit of the renewal of the removable wooden blocks and the removal to sharpen the blades.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description. proceeds, the invention resides in the com- 3 bination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood;

that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of the complete instrument taken from the pivotal side of the tail guide and gage, the said guide and gage being in the position it assumes when retaining the tail to be docked. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the instrument taken from the opposite side. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, exceptthat the tail guide and gage is not illustrated. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the jaws of the pliers showing the ring retaining notches. through the jaws of the pliers showing the detachability of the coacting cutting elements thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate respectively, the two handles of the pliers, the jaws of the pliers Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view being denoted by the numerals 3 and 4, respectively.

The'jaws are so shaped that the opposed portions thereof are curved to produce the tail receiving slot 5, the extreme terminals of the jaws. being provided with the offset portions 3 and 4, which provide a relatively wide operating surface between the jaws and also permit of the positioning of the tail to be docked to one side of the pivoting. joint it of the pliers.

As clearly shown in Fig. 5, the jaw 41 is provided with the transversely disposed dove tailed groove 6 for the reception of the doveetailed lug 7 of the removable anvil 8, this anvil being preferably made of a hard w'oodor similar material for coaction with the cutting edge of the blade 10. The blade 10 is carried by the upper jaw 3 and is seated within the recessed portion 9 upon the extreme outer face thereof, the same being detachably connected in place by means of screws 11, thus permitting the removal of the blades for sharpening'and renewing, while by reason of the dove-tail connection between the anvil 8 and the jaw 4, the said anvil may be readily removed. Any means may be provided for locking the anvil 8 rigidly to the jaw l.

Upon the inner face of the respective jaws 3 and 4 are the sockets 0r recesses 12 and 13 respectively, which provide a means for the reception of an open ring (not shown) when the device is used for attaching a ring in the nose of a hog.

The tail guide and gage 15 has one-terminal pivotally connected to the pivoting pin 14.- of the pliers upon the adjacent fiat side of the respective jaws and is so mounted as to describe an arc of a circle beyond the outer faces of the respective jaws and when in tail docking position to present its forked end, consisting of the two arms 16 and 17 spaced to provide the tail receiving means at 18, parallel to the straight outer faces of the jaws 3 and 1. The extreme free terminals of the arms 16 and 17 are adjacent to the offset portions 3 and at of the respective jaws and thus provide a ready means for the sliding of the guide upon the tail of the animal to be docked so that such tail will be presented between the open jaws and where necessary, or of such a length, be passed to one side of the instrument and upon the opposite side to the pivoting arm of the guide and gage. By this means the gage will act in a similar manner to the gage shown in the before mentioned patent with the material advantage of not necessitating the threading of the tail end first through the said guide and gage as in such patent.

In order to reinforce the respective handles 1 and 2, the respective longitudinal ribs 1' and 2 are provided, while in order to limit the movement of the handles toward each other andconsequently limit the movement of the blade toward the anvil 8 so as not to injure the anvil 8 after docking the tail, the two integral pins 19 and 20 are carried by the respective handles.

The handles 1. and 2 may be provided, further, with cooperating punch members 100, adapted to be employed in perforating the ears of the stock. The pins 19 and 20, it is to be noted, also serve as stops for limiting the relative movement between the punch members 100.

What is claimed is:

1. A pair of cutting pliers having a tail guide and gage pivoted to the pivot of the jaws for swinging movement into and out of operative position relatively to the cutting end of the pliers, the portion of the guide disposed to aline with the cutting ends of the pliers being provided with an open slot to permit the tail to be guided therein from one side for presentation to the cutting end of the pliers.

2. A pair of cutting pliers, having a tail guide and gage pivoted to the pivot of the jaws for swinging movement into and out of operative position relatively to the cutting end of the pliers, the portion of the guide disposed to aline with the cutting ends of the pliers being provided with an open slot to permit of the tail to be guided therein from one side for presentation to the cutting end of the pliers, the cutting end of the pliers being provided with an oifset portion to permit of the tail extending upon the outer face of the jaws at the opposite side to the pivotal point of the tail guide and gage.

3. An instrument of the class described, comprising a pair of pliers having bowed jaws, a removable anvil carried by one jaw, a cutting blade carried by the other aw and in co -active relation with the anvil, an arm pivotally connected at one side of the jaws to the pivot of the jaws, and a forked terminal bent at right angles to the arm and of greater length than the jaws, said forked terminal providing a tail guide and gage.

4. An instrument of the character de scribed, comprising a pair of pliers having tail severing jaws, an arm pivotally connected to the pivot of the jaws at one side of the jaws, and a pair of spaced terminals carried by the arm and bent at right angles thereto, said arm being longer than the jaws to present the spaced terminals exterior of the cutting edges thereof.

5. An instrument of the character described, comprising a pair of pliers having jaws terminating one in a cutting edge and the other an anvil, an arm pivoted to the jaws and to swing with the pivot of the jaws at its pivotal point, and a forked end at right angles to the arm, the space between the forked ends providing an open slot for the insertion of the tail to be docked and to hold the skin thereof toward the body of the animal during the severance of the tail to provide a surplus of skin to cover the stub end at the point of severance.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. FLETCHER. l/Vitnesses JoI-iN FUELBIER, RUTH M. RUMMENIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

